Kaiju Omega
by SCJen
Summary: The year is 2040. Kaiju-filled nightmares being their only lead, the remains of the PPDC prepare for the Breach to reopen only to come across a kaiju of nature's making. Betrayal, lies, government secrets, and the potential of an arms race have them question: Who are the true monsters here? Ch. 4: The Project & The Prototype
1. Fire Under The Ice

**Kaiju Omega**

I never really had to ask the question before what a monster really was. To me, a monster was three thousand tons of silicon-based bone and muscle from another dimension hell-bent on wiping out humanity from the planet. I could never comprehend that there would be anything else like the kaiju in this world or the next. When the beast showed itself we ended up having to ask ourselves just who the real monsters were. Them . . . or us?

_- Marshal Hercules Hansen, PPDC_

Chapter 1

Fire Under The Ice

_2040 A.D._

_Undisclosed location in the Sea of Japan_

Wind howled across the icy peaks of the snow covered island.

Tarou looked up, pushing his hood back a little to see better, and suppressed a shudder. It wasn't the freezing cold that was making him shake. To his ears the howl sounded more like a distant roar.

"Kichirou?" He called out to the man who tromped several feet ahead of him. "Are we really sure this is such a good idea?"

Kichirou Shoichi stopped and half-turned to look back at him. He was a head taller than Tarou and when he tromped back to get almost nose-to-nose with him, Tarou found himself flinching.

"What?" Kichirou raised his sunglasses to glare at Tarou directly. "Now you decide to ask this?"

"I just . . . I mean-"

"We paid those fishermen thousands to get us to a restricted island out here." He thrust a thickly gloved finger at Tarou's chest with each point he made. "We paid thousands more on the black market to pay for the equipment we're lugging around and we borrowed thousands from the yakuza to buy it all! So you decide now, when we're finally here, to question if we should do this or not?" The finger thrust became an open-palm push and Tarou was forced to take a step back. "You idiot!"

Looking down to the ground in shame, Tarou gripped to the handle of the case he carried and gulped. Kichirou was right. Asking the yakuza moneylenders for the funds was pretty much the point of no return. There would be no way they could pay back the money through just working it off at the blue collar jobs they had.

"Instead of questioning, you should be breaking out that portable detection equipment." Kichirou growled his words out and pushed his sunglasses back down over his eyes. The sun's glare off the snow was partially blinding. "We should be getting close."

He did as he was told and got down on a knee to put down the case and open it up.

"What's going to happen to us if the kaiju isn't here?" Tarou couldn't help but ask the question.

"If it isn't here then we have a pair of great-grandfathers who were big fat liars." Kichirou seemed to be glaring at him again through the mirrored shades. "I seriously doubt our separate families concocted a fake story of how they took out a kaiju back in the 50s with an avalanche just to look impressive to us kids."

Tarou noted that Kichirou's words didn't exactly answer his question. He had to stop a moment as the wind kicked up again, the chill and the beast-like howl sending shivers down his spine.

"What if the kaiju is here and it's still alive?" The scare made the words tumble out of his mouth. "There are no Jaegers anymore so-"

"You really are an idiot," Kichirou scoffed. "Eighty-five years under freezing cold ice and snow and you think it's still alive?"

He had no reply for him and just kept feeling that sense of dread in his stomach. Kichirou sighed, then put a hand on his shoulder.

"When we find this perfectly preserved dead kaiju body, do you know what gets to happen?" He got on a knee, getting eye to eye with Tarou. "We get to harvest every single inch of it. The eyes, the skin, the bones. Ah, Tarou, the bones alone. We are going. To. Be. Rich."

Tarou started to feel his resolve return, "Even one claw. That could make us hundreds of thousands."

"And this thing has more than one claw. Think millions. Tens of millions of yen."

"Millions," The thought of that much money brought a smile to Tarou's face. "There would be more than enough to pay back the loans. More than enough for the both of us!"

"You have that right, friend." Kichirou pat him on the shoulder once. "But we still have to find it so . . . "

"Right!" Tarou said excitedly, then got to the business of putting the equipment together with renewed eagerness. The potential danger temporarily drowned out by his greed.

* * *

As far as Kichirou was concerned, Tarou Ikeda was a moron.

It was only by chance that they were working for the same company and only by chance that they got to talking during a company party. Idle talk about their families dug up eerily similar tales from their respective great-grandfathers of a kaiju they supposedly killed back in 1955. Further digging in to old government records brought up more connecting dots and the likelihood of an impossible truth. They put together the notion that the body was still where they left it. It was on an island designated to be a nuclear waste dumping site, covered in ice and snow, never to be trodden upon by civilian feet.

Kichirou didn't believe it to be a waste site, but a graveyard. Kaiju parts still sold on the black market which was why it was being kept quiet. They had a potential goldmine, but they had to claim it. Was it risky? Yes, but if they worked fast and cleared the corpse out before the government knew then they'd be rich.

There was also the chance of Tarou meeting with an ugly accident while they harvested the parts. Kichirou wasn't keen on sharing and Tarou wasn't the one who risked going to the yakuza for funds. Kichirou had risked more and deserved more. He deserved it all.

And Tarou was an idiot.

He'd almost gone to a government official to track a lead and nearly gave everything away. Luckily, through some fast talking on Kichirou's part, they passed the inquiry off as just an oddball curiosity and a five thousand yen bet. After that he couldn't trust Tarou with any other prodding.

_Speaking of trust . . ._

Just as Tarou finished putting the scanning equipment together and turned it on, he snagged it from his hands. Typical "No Backbone" Tarou didn't even so much as peep.

The device, as far as he understood it, was supposed to be able to detect any kaiju-like signals and put it on a simple read-out display. Apparently, some of the helicopters that used to haul around the Jaegers had these devices and it helped them keep track of kaiju that had dived under water. They were expensive to make and long after the end of the kaiju war only a dozen or so were left. Kichirou used some of his shady contacts from his youth to find one. Something that cost him a lot of yen and a few rounds of beer.

Turning one of the dials, he held the devise up to look through the screen. It was doing its job and giving him a digital layover that outlined the land he saw through it. Ahead and high above him he saw the tallest peaks of the island, dark grey rock protruding where the snow didn't cover. If those were the ones that great-grandpa Tsukioka told him about, then . . .

He panned the devise downward, his heart beating a little faster. The outline shifted to match what he pointed at. A frown started to appear on his face as nothing registered.

"You sure you put this thing together right?" He asked after pointing it another direction.

"Yes, I did," Tarou replied. "Are you using it right?"

"Of course I'm using it right!" He shook the devise and turned more dials. "It might be defective."

"W-what do we do if it is?" That irritating panicked tremble entered Tarou's voice again. "Can we exchange it?"

"Moron," Kichirou didn't bother looking at him. "Like we have a damn receipt for this thing."

He smacked the side of it with his hand and started to walk while Tarou started to ramble.

"But, Kichirou, if it's broken how are we supposed to find the kaiju? We don't find the kaiju then we don't get the money. We've already spent too much as it is. My girlfriend keeps asking when we're going to go out next and the landlady knows I'm trying to avoid her! I don't want to go back to living with my mother especially if the gangsters come around looking for-"

"Shut up!" Kichirou hollered and he heard Tarou clamp his own mouth shut.

In the ensuing silence he held his breath as the device gave another soft pinging sound. He'd thought he'd heard it before, but Tarou's blathering had covered it. Walking faster, he kept going in whatever direction that would make it ping faster and louder.

He was scrambling through the snow as fast as his thick boots would allow him to when the ping became a beep. Coming to a stop, he raised the device and saw upon the screen a hazy blue indicator noting something under the ice. Kichirou moved it about, trying to get a sense of its size. It was massive. So massive that he really couldn't get a solid outline on it.

"I found it," he whispered. "It's here."

"Kichirou?" Tarou came scrambling up the snowy incline. "What is it?"

Kichirou paused to smooth out his features before looking back at him. "We found it. Here!" He pointed at the ground in front of him. "Get the marker out quick! I'll tell you where to hammer it into the ground."

That idiotic wide smile of Tarou's appeared again and he shrugged off his pack to get out the metal spike with a bright red flag at the end. Kichirou directed him where to go and let Tarou do the grunt work of pounding in the marker with his climber's pick. He had to make some use of Tarou while he had him, after all.

Inwardly, he gloated about all the money he was about to make. He was so busy imagining the wealth he'd be able to lord over everyone that he didn't notice his fiddling of the dials set the devise to find one thing and one thing only.

Nuclear energy.

* * *

_Tink. Tink. Tink._

_The sound was new._

_The sound was . . . annoying._

_Tink. Tink. Tink._

_Sleep. Sleep in the cold._

_But this noise . . . _

_Tink. Tink. Tink._

_Just wanted sleep._

_Sleep meant no light. No sound. _

_No feeling hungry. No feeling alone._

_Tink. Tink. Tink._

_Should move. Should move to stop the noise, but . . . _

_So cold. Can't move. Just sleep._

_Tink. Tink. . . . . _

_Noise is gone._

_Good._

_Sleep._

* * *

**A/N: **Last Edit 1/13/2014


	2. The Littlest Pilot

Chapter 2

The Littlest Pilot

_Same Day That Morning_

_Minamitane, Kagoshima, Tanegashima Island, Japan_

"Yancy?"

She heard her mother's voice from below and bit her lip lightly. This wasn't how she wanted to be caught. Matter of fact, she didn't want to get caught at all, but now it was inevitable.

"Yancy, breakfast is ready. Come and-"

"Mama!"

She saw her mother look around the garden in mild confusion, unable to find her.

"Mama," Yancy called out again, feeling stupid, "I'm up here. Help?"

Her mother's eyes widened and her mouth fell agape as she finally spotted her. She came over quickly to the foot of the tree.

"What in the world are you doing up there?"

Feeling her cheeks blush from embarrassment, Yancy found that no words would form for her. So she just shook her head hoping her mother wouldn't demand an explanation.

"You can't get down?"

Yancy shook her head again, hands tightening on the tree branch she straddled. There was a faint exasperated sigh from below and she saw her hold up a finger.

"Just hang on tight, okay? Let me go get your father and we'll get you down from there."

At the moment, Yancy was too afraid to say no to anything, so she nodded her head. "Kay . . ."

It felt like it took forever, but eventually she saw them both come out of the house, her mother holding on to the baby with one arm. Her father looked a little silly. He sported the same open mouth surprise her mother did upon seeing her and wore the kitchen apron with the teddy bears and bunnies on it. She knew it was for her little sister's benefit, but still. With his hands on his hips staring up at her like that he just looked . . . looked like . . .

_Nothing at all like a Jaeger pilot._

"Yancy, what are you doing up there?"

While she knew he'd ask she still didn't want to answer. Not with her mother right there.

"I don't know," she answered.

"You don't know or you don't want us to know?" He crossed his arms, looking up at her.

Internally, Yancy winced. Papa had the uncanny ability to somehow get to the root of the matter. She said nothing and just laid her head down on the branch.

Another exasperated sigh, this time from him. She could hear them muttering to one another, then he called up to her. "Okay, just hold on."

Yancy watched as he took off the apron and gave it to her mother who draped it over her shoulder. Once he came up the ladder, her mother held on to steady it with one hand. The ladder only reached up three fourths of the way to where Yancy was so as soon as he was high enough he stepped onto one of the branches, then stopped to find another foothold.

"How did you manage to get all the way up there?" he asked, testing his weight on another branch.

"I didn't look down," she answered, getting worried that he wouldn't be able to reach her.

"And when you finally got there?"

Somehow she had a feeling he already knew the answer and, sure enough, he said it the same time she did. "I looked down."

It was too true and embarrassing. She thought she'd be able to get back down, but when the ground looked so far away her limbs stopped working and she could only clutch to the branch. She looked down to see her mother's worried expression and then started to tear up. She didn't want to cause a fuss, she just -

"Yancy honey, look at me."

She did as she was told. He looked a little closer now.

"Don't look down and just look at me, okay?"

"Kay . . ."

"You know, I never had a big tree like this to climb back in Anchorage."

"No?"

"Nope, but we . . . uh." He paused to pull himself up between two limbs. "Oof . . . We had this large hill out in back and me and your uncle used to slide down on it all the time."

Yancy wasn't sure why he was saying this now, but she kept her eyes on him as he spoke.

"Once upon a time it used to be that your Uncle Yancy would go by himself because I was too scared to try."

She always liked hearing about the person she was named after. "Did he help you be not afraid?"

"No, actually, I ended up doing it on my own. Found out it wasn't as scary as I thought and that it was fun."

Yancy thought about it a second. "How did you get over being scared?"

He grinned at her. "I closed my eyes."

"Huh?"

"I closed my eyes and just went over the edge."

"But . . . how did you steer the sled?"

"Sled?" He seemed to laugh. "No sled. I used our trash can lid. Once I went over I just had to hold on."

"Raleigh!" Her mother called up from below. "I don't think that branch can take your weight."

Her father eyed the branch that would of brought him right next to Yancy. "I think you're right."

He tentatively put a foot on it and it bent too easily when he put more weight on it. Keeping one foot on it gently, he looked at her.

"Yancy, I'm going to need you to climb closer to me."

She started shaking her head, still too frightened to let go.

"No, no, no, it's okay. I am not going to let you fall." He stretched a hand out to her. "Don't look down. Just keep your eyes on me then take my hand. I'll hold on to you so you can come to me. Okay?"

Gulping, Yancy concentrated on his hand. It really wasn't that far so all she had to do was . . . She stopped thinking about it and quickly leaned out to grab his hand.

"Good, that's the way." He held on firmly. "Now just swing your leg over and climb down to me."

_Don't think. Don't look down. Don't think. Don't look down._

"You're going to climb onto my back and I'll get us down. Make sure you hold on tight."

She felt the strength in her father's hand keep her steady enough to step down and get onto his back. Holding on tight with her arms and legs, Yancy felt him pat her arm reassuringly. As they made their way down, tears started to well again. He kept saying she was going to be okay, but . . .

Once on the ground, her mother hugged her.

"Gomennasai." _I'm sorry._ "Gomennasai, Mama."

* * *

Raleigh rolled his shoulder a couple of times while watching Mako comfort Yancy. Despite being fit enough for combat, his left arm never did get back to a hundred percent. He also hadn't anticipated putting it through its paces with an emergency tree climb and rescue today. It would be fine, but for now he'd have to put up with the old familiar ache.

"Yancy," Mako sighed, taking her by a shoulder, "just what has gotten into you lately? Fist fights at school and now this?"

"Gomennasai," Yancy muttered again through her sniffles, dusty-blond locks partly covering her face as she kept her head down.

"It's good you're sorry, but we need an explanation. You still won't tell us why you got into that fight. If-"

Tamsin started to fuss and then hiccup into a cry, interrupting her. Mako pursed her lips and looked at Raleigh. After the smallest of sighs, he nodded once. It was best he talk to Yancy. Their daughter had been oddly quiet the last few weeks, barely sharing a few words at a time with Mako. It was worrying and unsettling, but they had one line of hope. She seemed to open up more to Raleigh, but only when Mako wasn't around.

Mako hugged her again, "Look, I'm glad you're alright, but we'll talk more later, okay?"

Yancy nodded into the hug, "Kay . . ."

Mako let her go then headed for the house to take care of Tamsin and get her out of the cold morning air. She passed one last glance back at Raleigh and he gave her a reassuring smile before turning to Yancy and kneeling in front of her.

"So," he began, brushing off the front of her pants with a hand, "want to let me know what's going on?"

Yancy shook her head. Aggravating.

"Then how about why you were up the tree, hmm?" He brushed off more bark from her sleeve. "Was there something up there you wanted to get?"

Another head shake.

"Trying to see Mrs. Yamauchi's dog in her backyard? You know she doesn't let Pipo out of the house this time of morning."

Yet again, a head shake.

He grumbled inwardly, but he wasn't going to give up. He had a card up his sleeve. "You know I saw you on the roof yesterday."

Her head finally came up to look at him with wide eyes.

"You climbed out of your window again, didn't you?"

She said nothing, but her cheeks went bright red.

_Yep, busted._

Her eyes went back down to the ground and she murmured something.

"What was that?"

"I want to know what the view is like from a Conn-Pod," Yancy blurted, then went even more beet red.

"From a Conn-Pod?"

This time she nodded.

He continued to brush one or two more smudges of dirt from her clothes in brief silence. There were certainly more than enough reasons for her to be curious about that. They never covered up what they were and never hindered her curiosity or her want to learn.

"Yancy . . . "

He almost didn't know how to proceed. The proud father in him didn't want to hinder her growth, but the protective father in him wanted to steer her away from harm. It was one thing to be a Jaeger Otaku, it was another to want to get into one. Stepping into a Conn-Pod was risky business. Suddenly Raleigh felt closer to Stacker Pentecost more than he ever had his whole life.

He looked up at the tree and a temporary solution came to mind.

"Honey," he placed his hands on her shoulders, "how high up are Conn-Pods on the average?"

"Uhm . . . seventy meters?"

"Right." He turned her around to face the tree. "How tall do you think the tree is?"

She shifted from foot to foot and muttered, "Six meters?"

"Little short on where a Conn-Pod should be, don't you think?"

"Close enough," she mumbled, lowering her head once more.

Raleigh sighed. "Look, how about this?" He turned her back around to face him and lifted up her chin. "You promise me that you don't go climbing the tree - or anything else - ever again like that."

She started to purse her lips together, a sign that it was something she didn't want to promise.

"In exchange, I promise you that the next time we go to Tokyo that we'll find a building equal to a Jaeger's eye-line and we'll go up and take in the view from there. How's that sound?"

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Really."

"Promise?"

"I'll even pinky swear it." Raleigh held out his little finger to her. "Long as you pinky swear back to not go climbing. Cause I don't want to see you get hurt."

It didn't take much for Yancy to agree after that. She wrapped her pinky around his and they shook on it.

"Good." Raleigh looked at Yancy's pants and got to his feet. "You need to get a clean pair of pants on. You are not going to school in those."

He herded Yancy back into the house and followed her in. She shot past the breakfast table where Mako sat with a non-crying Tamsin in her highchair.

"Pants, not shorts," Raleigh called after Yancy. "It's too cold for shorts."

He wasn't certain if she heard him. He'd just have to send her back to her room if she came out with the school shorts meant for warmer weather.

Mako handed him back the apron that was still draped over her shoulder. Raleigh took it and put it back on, getting back to finishing cooking breakfast.

"So, what did she say?"

Raleigh paused while he heated the eggs back up, "She, uh . . . she wanted to know what it was like from a Conn-Pod's eye-line. Don't worry though. I made her promise to not climb anything like that again."

"Hmm."

He glanced over at her. Tamsin had a hold of one of Mako's fingers and was trying to stick it into her mouth while she already had a spoon shoved in it sideways.

Without a word Raleigh went to the fridge, grabbed out a chilled teething ring, handed it to Mako, and got back to cooking. Mako got the spoon out of Tamsin's mouth and put the ring in its place. The baby let go of Mako's finger using both hands to grasp at the new object and began to gnaw away at it, drooling and burbling as she did.

"I haven't been spending as much time with her lately, have I?" There was a touch of worry in her voice.

"Well," Raleigh brought the pan over to get the eggs onto Mako's plate, "you have been burning the candle at both ends. You've got work, then Tamsin and Yancy, then the project. You can't expect to spend what little spare time you have because you think you've been neglecting her."

"Still, I should-"

"Mako, you can't be everywhere at once," Raleigh spoke calmly while he served the eggs on to the two remaining plates. "You said it yourself. Once your work for ITK is done then you can concentrate on the project and have more time for both Tamsin and Yancy. That's only a few weeks away so it's just a matter of time."

"I know that. I just . . . " Mako sighed. "I don't like this distance that has developed and I don't know how to fix it."

Raleigh twisted his lip. He wasn't exactly sure how to fix it either. That didn't mean he couldn't do a thing or two to briefly patch it up.

"If you're that worried then why don't we up the odds on spending time with her? Let's bring the girls with us to Nagasaki next week."

"But we're going to be busy with the project." Mako's eyebrows furrowed.

"Not the whole time," Raleigh offered. "Besides, I'm sure Vanessa would love to see Tamsin and have Yancy over."

Doubt seemed to linger over Mako's head until a quiet voice from around the doorway spoke.

"Would that mean I won't have to stay with Mrs. Yamauchi when you're gone?" Yancy looked hopeful.

Neither of them answered immediately and he and Mako looked at one another a moment. Just how long had she been listening? It didn't entirely matter and the expression on Yancy's face settled it.

"No," Mako answered, "you won't have to stay with Mrs. Yamauchi. You're going to Nagasaki with us and you'll stay at the Gottlieb's."

"Yes!" She thrust both fists into the air then came over to sit at her seat. "Good, cause some of Mrs. Yamauchi's rooms smell like dog pee."

"Yancy!"

"Well they do!"

Raleigh couldn't help it and just laughed. After trying to look stern, the corner of Mako's lip quirked upward and she laughed as well.

* * *

_**A/N: **Last Edit 1/13/2014, chapter 3 ETA 1/20/2014_

_Seventy meters is about 230 feet. Six meters is about 20 feet._


	3. Black Market Rockstar

Chapter 3

Black Market Rockstar

_Two weeks later._

He was floating.

It was like he was suspended in liquid, but he knew he could breathe just fine.

Below him was a crater dotted with odd ruins. Something exploded here, leaving little to nothing standing.

To his right on the horizon was a low burning star. He knew it was the source of light and life for this place, but it was dying just as much as the planet was. They had some centuries, but they needed to leave as soon as possible.

_They._

_They?_

_Precursors . . ._

Suddenly he knew. He knew exactly where he was at. His gaze snapped upward expecting to see the entry point from this world to the next. He did, but what he saw surrounding it made his blood go cold.

It was a massive super structure made of bio-mechanical material floating in the liquid that made up the atmosphere here. It thrummed with energy and tendrils snaked upward to the crack in the sky. They were . . .

_Fixing it? Repairing it?_

_No . . . upgrading it!_

They were planning to come back! He had to warn them. He had to let them know. They were coming back and they were coming back in force.

Flapping his arms and kicking his legs, he tried to move himself. He needed to get to the Breach and get to the other side. Frustration grew as he rose no higher.

Then he sensed something approaching.

In a panic he looked around, but saw nothing. He flailed his arms and legs ineffectually. He knew he had to get away.

Then he saw it. A hazy shadow in the distance. He couldn't make out the details at first. Then it approached quickly, gaining in size and girth.

_K . . . kaiju . . . kaiju!_

It was easily a Category 5, possibly a 6. While at first he thought it had one head and two long serpentine arms, he realized to his horror that it had three heads. Three dragon-like heads with razor sharp teeth. The runic lines that coursed over its body glowed golden in hue. It had bat-like wings upon its back and its two tails ended with barbed tips.

He thought it was going to swim right into him, but then it came to a stop. That turned out to be worse as its three heads now loomed nearby. Six golden eyes turned and focused on him.

He knew what was in store and shook his head in denial.

_Don't. Please!_

All three heads rose up silently, staring as if judging him. Then they reared. It gave a high trilling roar he never heard a kaiju give before. He covered his ears in fear of his eardrums bursting.

Then he screamed as all three heads darted in, maws wide open, fangs exposed, and -

Newt screamed again as he sat up in bed, wide-eyed.

He was drenched with sweat and his heart threatened to beat right out of his chest. For a moment, he didn't know where he was. The images in the nightmare were so vivid, felt so real, that he couldn't shake it from his mind.

Then he gave a start when he felt a hand on his leg.

"What's a matter, baby," the woman said with a thick accent. "You want something? You shakin'. Need me to fix it?"

The world came into focus quickly at the sound of her voice. He knew he was in Hong Kong, knew he was in his room, and knew what his purpose was. She squeezed his leg and started to pull herself closer to him and he remembered what her purpose was. Suddenly, he felt repulsed.

"Get out," he said through gritted teeth.

"Wh-"

"I said get out!" He pushed her hand off his leg and got out of bed. The images of the nightmare fueling his anger.

"But what-"

He switched to Cantonese and barked, "What part of 'get out' do you not understand?"

She recoiled back at his shout and that made Newt bite down on his anger.

Calmer, he said, "Pete will give you what you want. You are done for tonight. J . . . j-just go."

He turned to grab his robe and didn't watch her leave. She didn't say a word, likely satisfied that she'd get her pay.

Newt went to his patio that overlooked the Bone Slums and took several deep cleansing breaths.

Or he would have if a little of the Slum's stench hadn't hit his nose. A deep breath became a cough and he cursed the way this night was turning out.

It wasn't the first time he'd had a nightmare like that. There were others over the years. Some were from his own psychosis and always ended up with him being swallowed whole by Baby Otachi. Others came from somewhere else and disturbed him on a level that he couldn't quantify in words. They were always around that area, floating under the Breach on their side, and always ended with a kaiju interrupting his view of things. They'd been happening more and more frequently in the last year and Newt had the sense that humanity was almost out of time.

_Again._ Newt rubbed a hand down his face, clearing it of the cold sweat. _We're going to face the apocalypse that Pentecost and others lost their lives preventing._

He stared out over the Slums. The kaiju ribs had been whittled down over the last decade and a half, but the remains were still there. Further away were two other spots in Hong Kong that looked similar and there they were living off of it like vultures. A bitter part of his soul came forward. More bodies would drop and more slums would develop and idiotic politicians will build useless walls again.

"Not if I can help it," he said, glowering at the bones.

He didn't bother showering and tossed on whatever clothes he had on hand. Leaving his room, he walked through the ornate red and gold halls. Hannibal Chau never did lose his taste for the bright and gaudy. Newt just had to put up with it. He'd put up with far more annoying things in his life and having his eyes assailed was low in comparison.

Newt's feet slowed as he thought of Hermann. There was a part of him that desperately wanted to get in contact with him, but he knew that once he did too many questions would be asked. He didn't doubt for a second that Hermann would highly disprove of the path he decided to take. Despite all his faults, Hermann was a good man and to drag him into the world Newt was in now wouldn't have done either of them any favors.

Picking up his pace again, he headed for his lab. He still had work to do and until it was finished he wouldn't be able to face Hermann. He wouldn't be able to face any of them.

* * *

_Same day. Mid-morning._

"Anti-Kaiju Biochemical test number 131. Based on the last three attempts it seems I'm on the right track in regards to the mixture's potency. Batch one-three-one should be the penultimate version. If I've done everything right then this should do everything I expect it to."

Newt held on to the large metal syringe and eyeballed the cake-sized kaiju sample on the tray.

"If it does do everything I expect it to then there will be only one test left. To try it on a full scale living kaiju." He snorted a short laugh. "Something of which I . . . I-I really don't know how I feel about that. I mean on one hand it would mean we were right about the Breach opening again, but I am not . . . _not_ enamored with the idea of coming face to face . . . or to tongue . . . or something or other to a kaiju just to see if it works. On the other if they really do come back then - in both a scientific sense and a need for catharsis - it will be good to know that this really does work and that we have another weapon against the kaiju."

Pausing to look at the syringe again, he took a deep breath then plunged it into the sample.

"Injecting Anti-Kaiju Biochemical formula n-"

"Newton!"

"Jesus!" Newt almost lost his grip on the syringe at the fright. After steadying himself he glared over at the man through his safety goggles. "Damn it, Pete! How many times do I have to tell you to knock?"

"I was knocking, Newton, but you did not answer." The large man known as Pete entered Newt's lab instead of lingering at the door and looked around. His Russian accent, as always, was faint, but noticeable and, as always, he called him 'Newton'. Newt gave up insisting long ago and he was certain Pete did it just to aggravate him. "Heard you talking so I figured you had company and just did not hear me. Who were you talking to anyway?"

With no small amount of annoyance Newt put the syringe down on the tray, yanked down his surgical mask, then slowly and deliberately pulled the recorder out of his front shirt pocket and hit the stop button while holding it in front of Pete's face.

"I am in the middle of an experiment," he hissed.

Pete seemed unfazed. "It will have to wait. Boss wants to see you."

Another spike of annoyance and Newt turned back to the tray. "You can tell Hannibal that now is not a good time."

"He figured you would say that. I am to tell you that whatever you have going here it can wait. Gather your boys. He needs to see you now."

* * *

Newt took some care and got himself quickly showered and dressed. He might not have had Hannibal's paunch for the extra clink of gold and highly embroidered vests, but he learned how to dress up proper in the business.

His hair was slicked and combed back. The glasses were the same style he's sported for decades though the brand was now on the higher end of things. He wore a well tailored suit in dark blue, a crisp white button-up shirt, and black shoes polished to the point you could see your own reflection in them. The look was finished off with a silk tie in a deep, dark red held in place by a gold clip. It was the only red and gold he tended to wear.

As he strode out of his room and headed to the circular chamber, two other figures joined him and matched his stride. He didn't even have to look to know that his "boys", Linda and Lawrence, a brother and sister pair that hailed from Brooklyn, had joined him.

"What's Mr. Chau need us to do?" Lawrence asked. He always reminded Newt of a humanized form of Cherno Alpha. Wide shoulders, thick neck, and fists the size of hams.

"That's what we'll find out," Newt replied. "Though if this is to just shake someone down I'm going to be very, very upset. Pete can do something like that for him."

"I hear something has been going down in Japan," Linda said. Like her brother she was dark skinned and had dark hair dyed with shades of purple, but that's where the similarity ended. Where Lawrence was wide, Linda was statuesque and she didn't have a face that looked like it took one too many punches in the nose. Neither looked like individuals one should get into a confrontation with, but Linda had the added benefits of having a keen mind and decent business savvy. Something that Newt found invaluable in the past.

"Our yakuza contacts have been griping about something," Linda continued. "Has to do with the kaiju or _a_ kaiju. Not sure which."

Newt grunted, "Huh. Maybe they found a storage of kaiju parts like we found in Indonesia."

"That would be a nice windfall."

It felt like Linda wanted to say more, but she fell quiet when they reached the center antechamber. Workers hustled to and fro, most working at refining shards of bone into powder, others tearing apart the skin mites and separating the parts into smaller containers. One of the workers walked up to Newt, a clipboard in hand.

"Boss, it happened again," he showed him the sheet on the board and Newt took it. "Bad batch. Only two didn't have a birth defect."

"God damnit," Newt muttered while looking over the info, "at this rate we're going to breed ourselves right out of business." He handed the board back. "Salvage what mites you can and switch the mating pairs up again. I know we don't have a big gene pool to choose from, but we have to keep trying."

"Yes, Boss!"

Newt kept walking through the chamber and got to the East wing, Lawrence and Linda following dutifully behind. As they continued, others would nod at him or get out of his way or toss a "Hi, Boss" at him. He returned the gestures in kind, calling some by name. He was a star here in Hannibal Chau's halls. He had both respect and recognition. They listened to him and seldom argued. Fame and riches were his. It wasn't exactly the rockstar life he was hoping for, but it was close.

They came to a large set of double doors flanked by two of Hannibal's larger men. No words had to be said and they opened the doors for him. Linda and Lawrence peeled off once they stepped into the room, quietly taking their places as sentinels by a pair of columns.

The room might not have been as large as the antechamber, but it was still spacious. Tell tale signs of Hannibal's riches adorned the walls. Paintings supposedly stolen decades ago, fine rugs embroidered in gold, and an ancient sword or two. There was even a marble bust of Hannibal, the Carthaginian military commander. Aside from that only one other thing took up space.

The medical equipment beeped and hissed at a slow rhythmic pace. Newt pushed the sheer silk curtain that hung from the ceiling aside and stepped inside.

"Wanted to see me?"

Hannibal Chau looked at him from his laid back position on the bed. He wasn't the same man he was fifteen years ago. A good deal of his hair had fallen out so he'd taken up going bald instead, liver dots spotted his shaved dome. Even the goatee he used to sport was gone. He was thin, gaunt, wrinkled and his skin had the lightest tint of blue. The old scar around his eye looked worse for the sagging skin and band-aids covered what visible sores he had.

"Bout damn time," he croaked from behind the oxygen mask.

Newt shrugged, "You caught me busy."

He went to the foot of Hannibal's bed to look at the medical clipboard. He made a point about not looking too much directly at him. The old man had been getting upset lately at anyone staring overly long.

"He didn't gripe too much at his last treatment, did he?" Newt directed the question at the woman sitting next to his bed. Fang had been spending more time by Hannibal's side the last few months and made sure he got his medicine and treatments on time.

She smiled and shook her head, "For Hannibal he was practically an angel."

"God damn it," Hannibal growled, "I didn't ask you here to chit chat about me while I'm in the damn room, Doc. I need you to head to Japan for me."

"Japan?" Newt put the medical file down. Linda was apparently right. "Why? What's going on?"

"Got word a couple of guys might have found a dead kaiju body on an island somewhere in the Sea of Japan. Want you to find out if it's true or not."

"Wh- . . . wait a minute." Newt shook his head. "The remains for any kaiju that came through the Breach have been accounted for. A couple of guys can't just find something like that laying around."

"I thought the same thing until I got the full story." He motioned at Fang who got up to hand Newt a file. He flipped through it while Hannibal continued, "Seems these yahoos bought a portable KDU off the market there. Not too long after they started buying excavation equipment and the manpower to run it. They're paying off people left and right to keep it hush-hush. Thing is, they keep borrowing money from our people in Japan to do it. Hell, they even bought the KDU from the only people on the black market who would have one." He tapped his own chest with a finger.

"They wouldn't toss that much money around unless they were certain they would get it back," Newt mused.

"Exactly."

"Says here the island is government restricted?" He looked at Hannibal then. "People haven't been allowed there for decades."

"Uh-huh, decades even before the first kaiju hit San Fran," Hannibal gave him a look as if expecting him to draw some conclusions.

"But . . . Trespasser wasn't the first kaiju. There was one back in 1954." Newt shook his head again. "The Japanese government said they killed that one with depth charges in Tokyo Bay. The body was never- . . ." His eyes went wide and he said with a tinge of excitement, "The body was never recovered! They said the body dissolved and nothing was left and - as we all so very well know - the government always tells the truth."

Hannibal barked a laugh. "You got that one right."

"So the body was transferred there somehow and these two yahoos found it and plan to make a mint off of it." He tapped the file in his hand. "But the body would have been toxic with Kaiju Blue. How did- . . . "

Hannibal was already waving him off, "Doesn't matter. What does matter is that they're going to make a mint off a kaiju that we funded them to find and it's our money they're using to excavate it." He pushed his frail form to sit up more, Fang immediately tucked a pillow behind him. "Any kaiju body found in the Eastern Seas is rightfully mine. I need you to go there, confirm it's a kaiju, and then claim it."

There was too much that didn't make sense. How did the body get there from Tokyo Bay? If the body never did dissolve then what about the toxic effect? Shouldn't there have been more evidence of it being there and then taken away? Pieces of the puzzle floated in his head and none of the pieces seemed to fit. He did know one thing, though. If he went and saw the kaiju for himself, then he could answer some of his questions right away.

Newt flipped the file closed, his course was set. "What about the Japanese authorities? Government restricted might mean we'll have trouble."

"Shouldn't be an issue. These fellas have been there for at least a week. Government dogs haven't bothered them yet." Hannibal held a finger up. "When you get to our boys in Japan you tell Takanega that this information doesn't make us even. He still owes us for that missing shipment back in August. After that he should give you everything you need to carry this out. Guns, men, transportation."

"Right. Anything else?"

"Yeah." He motioned at Fang. "Clear out."

A small frown appeared on Fang's face, but she quietly complied.

"You two shadows get out of here too," Hannibal called out. "Need to talk to your boss in private."

Newt's eyebrows went up and he looked behind him to see through the silk Linda and Lawrence heading for the door. Hannibal motioned him closer. As he neared, Newt looked at him more solidly. The beeping of the machines and the IVs in his arms reminded him again that Hannibal Chau was a man on his way out. It was only a matter of time. Despite everything that happened between them before, Newt wasn't keen on seeing the old swindler go. It was more than just worrying about the fate of the organization, Newt had become oddly fond of Hannibal.

"Tell me," Hannibal lowered his voice even after hearing the door shut, "has Pete gotten on you to give him back control of the skin lice?"

"Wh- huh? No," Newt frowned. "I-I mean, why the hell would we? He was the one who gave us this inbreeding problem in the first place. If he asked you about it I hope you reminded him of that fact."

"I did," Hannibal nodded. "It didn't seem to matter to him. All he knows is that's the one place we still make good money." He grabbed Newt's tie to pull him closer and spoke softer. Newt felt a little sweat form around his neck. Old age, illness, and fondness be damned, Hannibal was still intimidating. "Pete has been playing games and trying to cut in where he can. He knows I'm handing things over to you and he doesn't like it. You, you've got smarts and you've made us money. Pete's a thug. I'd be kicking him into place right now, but I can't even stand up on my own just to take a piss."

"We could always feed him to the skin mites?" Newt's suggestion came out feebly. He disliked suggesting offing someone, but Hannibal seemed to respect him more when he did.

He pushed him away, letting go of his tie, "If we could have then I would already have. I told ya, Doc, connections are everything in this business. Pete's our conduit to our Russian contacts. We lose him, we lose our biggest inland revenue and we'll have a fresh turf war on our hands. What's more, that bastard knows it."

Newt finished straightening his tie with a frown, "What do we do then?"

"We are going to do nothing," he pointed at him. "You are going to watch your ass and your words around him. When he tries to cut in, you cut him back out. You keep him on the lower level so he never crawls his way to the top. He'll run the business right into the damn ground and if he gets there you won't have access to any kaiju parts at all for your experiments. You know that little lab of yours is going to be the first thing he tosses out." He prodded a finger at him for emphasis, "Right after he tosses you out."

Suddenly feeding Pete to the lice didn't seem like such a horrid idea after all. Killing him was problematic though so they needed another way to handle it.

He slowly put his hands in his pockets and squared his shoulders, "So . . . who says Pete needs to be our only Russian contact?"

Hannibal slowly raised an eyebrow, "Go on."

"You remember that woman they sent over who helped with our 'misunderstanding' with the Korean government?"

"Yeah, what was her name? Dee? Delilah?"

"Diana."

"Right, Diana. She has a damn good head on her shoulders."

"She does," Newt nodded slowly. "Good enough that if we invited her back here I think she'll figure out why we did and start making moves even before we tell her what we want."

A smile appeared on Hannibal's face, "She might side up with Pete and you'll still end up on your ear."

"You didn't see the way she gave him the cold shoulder when she was here last." Newt snorted, "Pete was making like it was mating season and she shut him down at every turn. No, I don't think she'll side with Pete. She might even do us the favor of ending his game playing, permanently."

The smile didn't leave and he barked another laugh. "Damn, Doc, and here I was worried about you not being ready. With thinking like that you'll do just fine. Now get your ass to Japan and I'll get the ball rolling here with our Russian friends."

* * *

_**A/N: **Last edit 1/20/2014**  
**_

_Chapter 4 ETA 2/24/2014 . . . Extra time needed for a short story due with a 2/15 deadline. Potential to post chapter 4 earlier depending on how well I do with the short story._


	4. The Project & The Prototype

_**A/N:** Missed my deadline by five days. Better late than never._

* * *

Many scientists put forth theories on how the Breach or another portal could be reopened. As time went on and fear gave away to complacency, fewer theories were given. Those of us more stalwart were labeled as paranoid, more so for myself and Dr. Geiszler. We were, and I quote, "glory-seeking heretics with holes in their theories so wide you could walk a Jaeger through them." They were partly right. We didn't seek glory, but our theories were less based on fact and more on a hunch. It was something I, as a scientist who relies on numbers, had a hard time admitting.

_- Dr. Hermann Gottlieb, Lead K-Science Officer, PPDC_

Chapter 4

The Project & The Prototype

_That Same Day_

_Nagasaki, Japan_

_Old Shatterdome Facility_

"Mister Hansen, good of you to call."

Herc inclined his head once to the man on the view screen, "Minister Ogata, sorry I wasn't able to contact you earlier. We've been incredibly busy the last two days."

"I can only imagine." The Minister apparently didn't want to beat around the bush and he saw him lean over to push a few buttons. "Is our line secure?"

Doing the same, Herc touched the right sequence of buttons on the panel on his desk, and waited for a small green indicator to come up. "We're secure, Minister."

"Good," Ogata leaned back in his seat. "Now can you explain to me what happened the other day, Marshal?"

Herc took in a deep breath. He knew this question was coming, "We were doing some stress tests on the mounted plasma cannons and one of them immediately began to overheat. The coolant spilled out everywhere, so we had to kick in the emergency systems. That's why we had all that noise, smoke, and steam coming out of the Dome."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Two of our people ended up with first and second degree burns on their hands and arms, but it isn't anything they can't recover from. We got off easy, all things considered."

"That's good to know," Ogata looked relieved. "It won't be much, but I'll have a little extra shuffled over to the miscellaneous expenses to cover any medical costs."

"That's greatly appreciated, Minister," Herc nodded once. "I also need to thank you for your staff's quick work with the media. The cover story made it extremely easy for me to speak to the news hounds outside of our gates this morning."

There was a small sly smile on Ogata's face, "I told you before. We are good at keeping secrets. As far as anyone outside of the Shatterdome is concerned all you're doing in there is dismantling old nuclear submarines and warships. You have no need to worry."

"I never worry with you backing us up, Minister," Herc said with a grin. "Can't thank you enough."

Ogata waved his compliment off, "If you really want to thank me then buy me a drink the next time I come down for an inspection."

"That I can do," Herc gave a genuine smile.

As far as politicians went, Sanosuke Ogata was alright in Herc's book. Like most of his ilk he did have his own agendas, but a few times he was willing to sacrifice that agenda for Herc's project. As Minister of the Environment, Ogata had been invaluable to Herc's cause from securing the Nagasaki Shatterdome to secretly shuffling high powered equipment for their use. While he had suspected Ogata's aid at first, over the last eight years he managed to find a friend.

Leaning forward, Ogata clasped his hands on the desk in front of him, "So how are our Saradian friends doing?"

Trying not to have his smile slip away, he braced himself for a more dour turn in the conversation, "They're hanging in there. Out of the fifty they sent only four remain in the program. The rest have shuffled off to the J-Tech crews or aiming to be a Jumphawk pilots. Though I think some of them are beginning to suspect our methods."

"Can you still delay the prototype?"

"I can, but . . ." he let out a sigh. "With a lot of them now mingling among the mechanics and techs it's more difficult to hide."

"I really wish I could divert more funds in your direction," a mild frown curled the corner of Ogata's lips. "That way you wouldn't have to kowtow to the Saradian Prime Minister."

Herc raised a hand and shook his head, "I know, but I can't ask you to hide trillions of dollars for this. That would be unreasonable. We both knew getting into this what it was going to take. Stacker Pentecost was willing to use some unsavory tactics to get the resources required and we should be prepared to do no less."

"With no kaiju there is little of the kaiju black market to rely on," Ogata shook his head slightly. "What's that phrase you use? A catch twenty?"

"Catch 22," Herc confirmed. "With no kaiju no one was willing to invest funds to the project, but to be ready for the kaiju we need the funds."

"How is the project coming along? Did the accident send you back?"

"It happened around one of the unused bays, so it didn't disturb the main project at all."

"And Saradia's prototype?"

"No," Herc shook his head again. "Ultimately we're down one plasma cannon and two workers. Both schedules will continue."

He saw Ogata frown a little more. Herc knew he was just as worried about Saradia as he was.

It was a devil's deal. Saradia, a country nowhere near the Pacific Ocean, was willing to fund Herc's project, but only in exchange for the development of a prototype machine. One that could be mass-produced and would be highly modular for various functions, none of which had anything to do with fighting kaiju. It put a distinct bitter taste in Herc's mouth, but he had few other options.

There was one line of hope he had though and he was banking a great deal on that gamble.

"We do have one last thing that will set the prototype back," he said.

The Minister raised an eyebrow and waited for Herc to continue.

"We still need to find a pair of pilots for it."

* * *

_The Kwoon_

"4 - 2, match point, Mehdizade."

The surrounding crowd applauded while Raleigh put another mark on his chart, "Good fight, cadets. Next!"

Mehdizade and his sparring partner Thompson bowed in respect and left the mat. Raleigh noted the comrade-like pat on the back Mehdizade gave Thompson. Neither were top of the list in skills and aptitude - Mehdizade especially was lacking in the technical department - but if the two had a natural bond then they would likely do well.

He set the thought aside as two others took their place.

"Bow . . . begin!"

Raleigh watched with as much neutrality as he could muster, but he was hard pressed to not smile and show some favoritism. One of them was Ming-Hai Liao a daughter of one of their J-Tech crew. She was already educated on a lot of the Jaeger tech and wasn't too shabby on the combat. The downside was while she seemed to be a jack of all trades, she didn't seem to excel in any one thing either. The other candidate was William Choi, Tendo and Alison's eldest son. Sixteen and only in the program for three months, the gangly youth was determined to prove himself. Like Liao he had the technical side covered, but there was one major glaring issue.

"1 - 0. Liao."

"2 - 0. Liao."

"3 - 0. Liao."

"4 - 0, match point, Liao."

The applause was less than enthusiastic this time as William pulled himself off the ground, his face red with exertion and embarrassment. The group didn't get much of a show this time. It was more like watching a bobtail cat batting a gerbil around. William bowed to Raleigh and bowed to Liao who returned the gesture, then walked off the mat and to the back of the group of onlookers as fast as his feet could carry him.

Raleigh dispassionately put the appropriate marks next to Liao and Choi's names. William was going to need a lot of practice if he hoped to even stay in the program. He hoped the kid could turn himself around and get a better grip on the combat aspects. Otherwise, Raleigh was going to be forced to kick him out and earn the title of "Worst Godfather Ever".

Not that it would come to that. If William really couldn't get himself together then Raleigh would be saving his life by kicking him out.

"Saegusa! Yamanral! You're up."

The next pair came from opposite ends of the crowd and really didn't look at one another till they were on the mat. One of them was a woman roughly Mako's height with long, straight, black hair done up in a tight bun. Her body was athletic and she was long of limb. The other was a broad-shouldered bronze-skinned man. He had an aquiline nose, deep set eyes, and close cropped dark hair. Taller than Raleigh, he cut an imposing figure.

Out of all the candidates they had, these two were the most promising.

As far as Raleigh was concerned, Miki Saegusa was a cadet that showed all the signs that she would make an excellent Ranger. She outshone most in technical, physical, and mental scores. Her simulator drops were outstanding and there was nothing she wasn't willing to learn. She also had extremely good combat instincts and was able to read her opponents moves at an almost uncanny level.

Zaahir Yamanral was the sort who got by on sheer force of will. Recommended by the Saradian Prime Minister as a top candidate, Zaahir had brought his battle field experience right into the program. His first few simulator drops were rousing successes and that alone got him on the short list. He was constantly improving himself and had the respect of his Saradian peers.

That, unfortunately, was where the "pro" list for both ended.

"Bow . . . begin!"

Per usual Miki quickly countered one of Zaahir's blows. She got in a solid counter-attack to his ribs.

"1 - 0. Saegusa."

There was a slight twitch of Zaahir's lip before he tried another attack. Miki countered again, this time her counter-attack got him right on the collar bone.

"2 - 0. Saegusa."

_And here is where it shifts._

Raleigh could tell just by the set of Zaahir's jaw that he was already losing his temper. He came on with a much stronger attack. It was easily predictable, but it was a move lacking in subtlety for a reason. Their jō connected and he could see Miki flinch. He didn't doubt that her hands were buzzing from the hit and he wasn't surprised when the staff dropped right out of her hands. Zaahir stopped just short of cracking his jō on her forehead.

"2 - 1. Yamanral."

They didn't pause for a breath. Miki dove to the side to get the jō back and somersaulted back to her feet. Raleigh half expected her to immediately charge while Zaahir looked off balance. At least, that's what he would have done. Instead, she paused letting Zaahir get his feet back under him.

As the match progressed it became apparent that neither had managed to get passed their issues despite Raleigh coaching them. Miki lacked a certain aggressiveness and always went too easy on her opponents. Zaahir was the complete opposite. He disliked losing and would get too aggressive when he fell behind. Raleigh had hoped that between the two they could find some comfortable middle ground, but the pairing wasn't working out.

Miki managed to get one more point in before Zaahir simply powered through with overzealous strike after strike.

"3 - 4, match point, Yamanral."

Raleigh didn't bother looking at them or congratulating either on a well fought match. He just made his marks on the page and waited for them to leave the mat. He didn't see what he wanted to from either and he was going to let his disappointment show.

It was an odd dilemma. As the resident Kwoon Fightmaster it was his task to train and guide the cadets so they could potentially become pilots for the prototype. There was a prideful part of him that wanted to see it done, but another part was just as trepidatious of accomplishing it. If he had his way he would go ahead and put Saegusa with Liao or even Thompson, but he had to follow a stipulation.

The Saradian government wanted at least one of the prototype pilots to be among the soldiers they sent over. They had stated a "need for loyalty" and "a sense of patriotic duty" with one or both. It set Raleigh on edge and made him question the track Marshal Hansen was on. Patriotism? Loyalty? Those were the sorts of words politician's used to justify military actions against other humans, not something someone said when piloting a Jaeger and protecting all of humanity from destruction.

He could see it now. Scores of Jaeger-like weapons marching across a border with the sole intent of conquering a country. It felt down right heretical and terribly frightening.

But he trusted Herc Hansen and his intentions and hoped that the gamble he had in mind would work.

Looking up, he saw the cadets patiently waiting and he immediately sported a frown, "Playtime is over so what are you all standing around for?"

There was slight sadistic satisfaction he felt from the unsure looks and shuffling feet.

"Get back to training! That means twenty laps around the Dome, cadets," he barked. "Hustle and move!"

He heard the groans and the resigned sighs. It only made him shout louder, "Move, move, move! Move like a kaiju is on your ass!"

That put a sense of urgency into them. In moments, the jō were stored away and the Kwoon cleared out. He heard someone behind him snicker.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing you make like a gunnery sergeant," Tendo sported a grin, coffee cup in one hand, clipboard in the other.

Raleigh chuckled, "Yeah, well, I have to simultaneously nurse and whip into shape a whole score of egos. Sometimes just talking to them doesn't get the job done. Makes me appreciate what our previous fightmasters had to go through."

"With you on their roster needing to be put into shape I pitied them greatly," he said, grinning right into his cup.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. Did you come here to tell me something or did you just need someone to harass?"

"Who, me? Harass someone? Perish the thought."

Raleigh rolled his eyes at him. Even after three kids and a few strands of grey added to his ever-unmoving coiffed hair, Tendo never lost his sense of humor or changed his style.

He motioned at him with the cup, "The Marshal is calling for a meeting of us seniors. Probably a wrap up on the damage to the plasma canon."

Raleigh nodded, made one last mark on his sheet, then started walking for the Marshal's office. Tendo followed suit.

"Hopefully it won't take too long," Raleigh gave a perverse grin. "I like to be there when the cadets get down to those last five laps."

* * *

_Bay 5 Workroom Observatory_

"Doctor Gottlieb," Mako said louder than normal.

Hermann's head snapped up from looking at the display, "Yes, what?"

He was uncertain as if that was the first or the third time she called him. The look on her face told him it was the latter.

"Are you alright there?" She walked over to him. "You've been out of it all day."

"Ah, yes, sorry," Hermann raised his glasses and rubbed his eyes with a thumb and forefinger. "My sleep last night was . . . interrupted in a jarring fashion."

"Another one of your nightmares?" she asked.

Hermann grunted once, lowered his glasses back down, and gave Mako a tight smile, "Yes, but don't worry. I will be able to complete my work for today."

His words apparently did nothing to alleviate her concern, "That isn't what I am worried about. You should take the rest of the day off. Go home, get some sleep."

Hermann shook his head and got to work on what was on the display, "No, trust me. It is best that I work through this and keep myself occupied rather than dwell on it. And this week is too important to take any breaks. Now, what is it that you needed?"

He could feel her staring at him, possibly contemplating debating with him until he went home. Instead, she handed him a data chip.

"Latest calibration results from Alison on the CPJ-X3," she said. "We'd like you to go over the numbers."

Hermann smiled knowingly, "Ah, one more time, yes?"

Mako gave a smile in return, "Yes."

"I shall put it on my agenda somewhere after lunch and after I've cleared the files with Marshal Hansen," he made a show of pondering. "Perhaps after tea?"

"Whenever it fits your very busy schedule."

There was something to be said about conspiring with friends and colleagues for a justified cause. He didn't agree with the prototype any more than the rest of them, but he understood the necessity of it. Creating faux red tape and multiple-layered, repetitive steps for each process brought some amusement in what would otherwise be an aggravating situation.

"Marshal Hansen also wants to speak to the senior staff right now," Mako continued, briefly glancing at the clock on the wall. "In his office in fifteen minutes."

"Ah," Hermann nodded, "I shall be along shortly. Just need to finish this line."

She raised an eyebrow slightly, "Make sure that line doesn't suddenly become a whole page."

He had the wherewithal to at least smile at her sheepishly. There had been more than one time where he'd gotten lost in his work and would get chastised later for missing a meeting. Mako knew this all too well as most of the meetings were set by her.

"Don't worry, I will be there."

As she walked away she gave him a silent look that said _you better be_, then left Hermann to finish.

He found himself smiling at that. It was amazing what the Drift did to someone. Before, he never would have expected Mako to chastise him over anything. Having grown up under Stacker Pentecost she was always respectful and often reticent. It made the fact that she was a highly intelligent and very gifted individual shine out all the brighter. She was still gifted and intelligent, but now she would carry a confident smirk and have the occasional sarcastic barb. Both qualities he was certain she adopted from her partner in all things, Raleigh.

Raleigh in turn was more than willing to take on several administrative duties when paperwork had never been up his alley. He'd even overheard Tendo tell him that if he wasn't careful they'd make him a Marshal. Something Raleigh, surprisingly, didn't immediately scoff at. Changes in their personalities that could only be explained through their connection in the Drift.

Unbidden, his thoughts went to Newt.

Granted, he and Newt had only Drifted once and it came with the oddity of seeing into the brain of a newborn - and just slain - kaiju, but he still had to wonder how much of his own thought processes had changed. He asked Vanessa once if she had noted anything and all she could offer was that he was less stiff in the face of company. Whether it was due to being in the Drift with Newt or just a product of living through the harrowing events, it was hard to say.

He wondered if Newt was still having the same nightmares he was. Did they still plague him or did time and tide weed it out of him? Hermann had no way of knowing. Two days after the Breach had been sealed, Newt disappeared for a whole week. No one was able to contact him and they all thought the worst. When he showed back up, he acted as if nothing happened and said he just wanted to take a break from everyone. Hermann didn't believe it, but he'd give no other explanation.

For the next year Newt continued to flit in and out, never saying where he went but always returning. He especially came around when it came time to stand next to Hermann and ply to the U.N. to continue the Jaeger program. When they refused to listen and their fellow academics began to debunk their theories, that was when Hermann received his last message from Newt.

He told him that if no one was going to listen then he was going to do things his own way and work with Hannibal Chau's people. He assured Hermann that he was going to be fine and to not come looking for him. Hermann wrote back to him asking to reconsider and that he could be in danger if he got involved with Chau's people. He never received a reply back. That had been fourteen years ago.

Shaking his head, Hermann realized his fingers had stopped moving across the keyboard. A glance at the clock told him he was already going to be late to the meeting. With a heavy sigh he got up, grabbed his cane, and readied himself for a Mako-patented glare when he got there.

* * *

_Marshal's Office_

"I'm sorry, sir," Tendo raised an eyebrow, "what did you say?"

Herc sighed, "You know I don't like repeating myself, so let me lay it all out for you."

He stood up to bring himself to the front of his desk. It, and the room in general, was far more cluttered than Stacks would have kept it. Herc was a little less organized by nature and he preferred a more lived in feel to the place. He found that the comfortable chairs, a couch to lounge in and a more relaxed atmosphere tended to garner more ideas. Now, though, his senior staff sat up in those seats, varying degrees of tension showing on their faces.

"If we weren't trying to delay anything what would your honest assessment be on the readiness of the X3?"

Tendo twisted his lip slightly and looked over at Mako who in turn looked at Alison. The auburn-haired woman huffed out a sigh and nodded at Mako. He figured it was something the two women might have already discussed.

"Weapons, mechanics, operating systems, Pons systems, programming . . . all of it is ready for the green light," Mako said.

"We've come up with the same numbers the last three calibration attempts, sir," Alison added. "We can't tweak the prototype any further than we already have."

"In order to adjust anything more we need the last two pieces," Mako nodded once, then glanced in Raleigh's direction.

"Then it means we're ready for the next phase," Herc crossed his arms and sat back lightly on his desk. "What do you say, Fightmaster? Do we have potential Rangers among the candidates?"

Raleigh didn't answer right away and he rubbed the back of his neck while gazing at the floor a moment.

"This seems a bit sudden," he said, looking back up at him. "You certain we want to move ahead, Marshal?"

"No," Herc answered. "We don't want to move ahead, but unfortunately we've pushed the limits of the Saradian Prime Minister's patience. He apparently got wind of what happened here and specifically asked why we were stress testing the plasma canons and not working on the prototype. He's threatened to pull the funding if we don't show some marked progression."

It was grating. Not more than a minute after he finished his talk with Minister Ogata did Prime Minister Helal call up and started to make demands. He wasn't surprised that Helal found out as he suspected one or more of the Saradian soldiers were reporting in to him. Not that there was anything treasonous about it, just that it made it harder for the red tape to stick.

"The only way for us to progress is to start throwing pilots at it," he inclined his head to Raleigh. "Means the ball is in your court. Who do you have for us?"

He wore a pensive look for a few seconds before speaking, "I think we stand a good chance with Mehdizade and Thompson. They might not have the best scores, but neither did Yancy and I when we started out."

Herc nodded slowly, "What about Prime Minister Helal's boy, Yamanral?"

Raleigh winced, "In all honesty, sir, as great as his aptitude is he still has one major failing. He doesn't do dialogues. Difficult to tell if he's going to drift well with anyone, even when they're just as skilled as he is."

"Mehdizade and Thompson it is, then. So let's let our candidates know and set them up with-"

"I'm sorry, sir, I have to ask," Tendo interrupted. "Since we're going ahead with the prototype does that mean we stall the project?"

"Stall the project?" Herc replied with a shake of his head and a grin. "Not in the least. We step up the schedule. That means I want you two," he pointed to Raleigh and Mako, "ready for a full final test run tomorrow morning."

His senior staff sat up in their seats more and shot excited grins at one another.

"We're finally going to complete what we originally came here to do."

* * *

_**A/N:** Last Edit February 28, 2014_

_Recommended watching list to understand this fic better:_

_- Gojira (1954) the original Japanese cut without Raymond Burr_

_- Godzilla Raids Again (1955)_

_- Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)_

_- And if you haven't watched Pacific Rim (2013) then I don't know why you're even reading this :P_

_On the use of Saradia: *bows deep* Forgive me, Biollante-San! Saradia was my only hope on a fictitious country to use for the story. I hope you can forgive me._

_I have a story summary and an outline to redo for my original works so ETA Chapter 5 - March 31, 2014_


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